Backup Solutions for OpenStack Cloud Storage

For service providers that need a cloud storage service built on commodity hardware and open source software, OpenStack could be an option.

One of cloud storage’s primary use case is backup. If you are deploying OpenStack, very likely your first batch of customers will be looking for backup solutions that can take customer’s local data and backup to OpenStack.

Gladinet has a suite of products for backing up to OpenStack cloud storage.

Before we introduces the suite of products, first review the different backup use cases.

Mirror Backup

Mirror backup is the easiest form of backup. It mirrors a local folder into OpenStack cloud storage. Whenever you make changes to the local folder, the changes will be picked up and send over to OpenStack.

Snapshot Backup

Snapshot backup is more sophisticated and can work together with Volume Shadow Copy Service(VSS). Once it works with VSS, you can take snapshots with files and folders, SQL Servers and etc. If you schedule the snapshot to be taken on a daily basis, you can recover your files from daily snapshots. These snapshots can be stored on OpenStack cloud storage.

Existing Local/Tape Backup

Some may already have backup solutions deployed locally. In this case, connecting existing local backup to OpenStack cloud storage makes more sense so the local backup can backup to the OpenStack cloud storage.

Ad Hoc Backup

Sometimes you just need the ability to drag and drop stuff to an external USB drive for backup purpose. With OpenStack cloud storage, it can be like an external virtual drive for Ad Doc transfer.

Gladinet Cloud Desktop (GCD)

Gladinet Cloud Desktop is best fit for a personal user that has backup need. It mounts OpenStack cloud storage as virtual drive, so it supports Ad Hoc Backup. It also has mirror backup features. Optionally you can turn on the Snapshot features.

Gladinet Cloud Backup (GCB)

Gladinet Cloud Backup is best fit for taking snapshots of your folders and files, SQL Server and other VSS supported applications. You can use a stand-alone Cloud backup to connect to OpenStack, you can also use it from the other two products.

Gladinet CloudAFS (AFS)

Gladinet CloudAFS is best fit for a group of users. It has mirror backup feature so you can backup the file server. It integrates with the Gladinet Cloud Backup so you can take snapshots of the file server too. It is a file server for the cloud storage, so it interoperates with existing local backup and can turn them to cloud backup.

Feature Matrix

GCD

GCB

GCA

Ad Hoc Backup

Yes

No

Yes

Mirror Backup

Yes

No

Yes

Snapshot Backup

Yes*1

Yes

Yes*1

Turn Existing Backup into Cloud Backup

No

No

Yes

*1 – You can get snapshot backup from Gladinet Cloud Desktop and Gladinet CloudAFS because they integrate with the Cloud Backup, which can be activated with a Cloud Backup license.

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